INGREDIENTS
Sugar syrup
220 g caster sugar
500 ml water
Dehydrated pear
1 William or Packham pear
Puddings
200 g pitted dates, halved
250 ml water
½ tsp bi-carb soda
60 g butter, room temperature
160 g brown sugar
2 eggs
200 g self raising flour
1 William or Packham pear, peeled
Tonka bean caramel sauce
300 ml cream
200 g brown sugar
250 g butter
1 tonka bean, roughly chopped
To serve
Vanilla bean ice cream and or clotted cream
Crisp pear slices
Miele accessories
METHOD
Sugar syrup
- Place sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat, induction setting 6-7.
- Bring to the boil slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Dehydrated pear
- Slice the unpeeled pear very thinly using a mandolin, approximately 2 mm thick.
- Wrap cling wrap over a baking tray twice, this will allow air to flow beneath the pears for a crisper result. Dip each pear slice into the sugar syrup and lay flat onto the plastic wrap, leaving a small space between each slice.
- Place the baking tray on a rack in a gourmet warming drawer on Food Setting 5 (approximately 85°C) or in an oven on Drying
function at 90°C. Set timer for 6 hours. Check the pears for crispness, if firm, they are ready, otherwise continue to dry for another hour. - Leave pear slices in the oven until completely cool to touch. Store in an airtight container.
Puddings
- Grease and line the bases of a 12 cup muffin tin, or a 2 litre capacity rectangular baking dish. Pre-heat oven at 160°C with 1 manual burst of steam.
- Place the dates and water into a saucepan on medium heat, induction setting 6-7 and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and add bi-carb soda, stirring well to combine. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
- Cut the pear in half lengthwise and remove the core with a melon baller. Place the pear in a perforated steam container and Steam
at 100°C for 4 minutes. The pear should be cooked but have a little resistance to it’s flesh. Set aside in the fridge to cool completely and dice. - Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl of an electric mixer until thick and creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
- Add flour and combine.
- Whisk the date mixture into a smooth paste and add to the mixture.
- Add the diced pear and gently fold through.
- Spoon mixture evenly into the preferred tins/dish and place into oven on shelf position 2 and release the burst of steam immediately. Bake for 20-25 minutes for individual serves or 50-55 minutes for a large pudding until firm to touch and deep golden brown.
Tonka bean caramel sauce
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, induction setting 5-6 until melted, whisk well to combine. Reduce heat to low, induction setting 3 and continue to cook for a further 15-20 minutes.
- Cool the sauce for 5 minutes before straining caramel through a sieve over a heat-proof bowl. Discard the tonka bean.
- Pierce the tops of the warm puddings with a skewer and spoon over a tablespoon of the caramel sauce. Return the puddings to the oven and continue to bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve with extra caramel sauce, clotted cream and or ice cream.
Hints and tips
- If pears are very hard, they may need a few extra minutes of steaming.
- Tonka beans have a bitter almond flavour and are a great alternative to vanilla or cinnamon. They can be purchased from specialty delicatessens and gourmet food stores.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Shannon Bennett
In 2011, acclaimed Australian chef Shannon Bennett undertook the greatest challenge of his life – moving his award winning Vue de monde restaurant to the dramatic new location on the 55th floor of Melbourne’s iconic Rialto building. From the beginning, Shannon’s goal has been to make Vue de monde Australia’s most sustainable restaurant. More than 50 cutting-edge technologies are being utilised, from an E-water system to ‘cold kitchen technology’ (no exposed flames or gas)
